10/13/2004 Continental AG launches website www.ContiSoccerWorld.com

Hanover, in May 2005. Continental is increasingly relying on football, the world's most popular sport, as a communications platform and its newly-launched website www.ContiSoccerWorld.com is packed full of information about all activities involving football and tyres. For strategic reasons, the Hanover-based company became an Official Partner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup GermanyTM in the product sector Tyres back in early 2003 and since then has consistently focused its product communications for tyres on football.

Here you can download the press release as doc-file (115 KB).

The aim of ContiSoccerWorld is to show in an entertaining manner how the tire division is endeavouring to increase the international awareness level of its premium tyre brand Continental and to give its brand image a more sporty and emotional appeal. To achieve this, it has enlisted the support of prominent brand ambassadors like the national goalkeepers Timo Hildebrand (in Germany), Iker Casillas (in Spain) and Ricardo (in Portugal), as well as the legendary centre-forward Alan Shearer (in England). ContiSoccerWorld has been designed both for motoring, business and sports journalists as well as for end users and staff. It combines all tyre communications activities and events with the latest football news about the FIFA Confederations Cup 2005 and the 2006 FIFA World CupTM. "I am constantly amazed by the sheer number of Continental tyre topics that have cross-links with football" comments Alexander Lührs, Continental Tyre PR department, who is responsible for the structure and content of ContiSoccerWorld. One example of this is the safety training undergone by the coach drivers from seven Federal League teams and the German national team. This was organised by Continental's Truck Tyre Division as Original Equipment partner in conjunction with the DaimlerChrysler subsidiary EvoBus. "I am sure that many visitors will feel exactly the same and I hope our new football/tyre website will make a lasting impression on them."

Website content includes information about team sponsorship in Europe, FIFA World Cup™ ticket promotions and tyre advertising.

In addition to constantly updated profiles and interviews withthe brand ambassadors, there will also be features on the numerous European teams supported by Continental's national market organisations. These include the French national team and Belgian national team, plus Hannover 96 and Eintracht Frankfurt, the Eintracht Frankfurt Soccer School run by record-holding German Federal League player Charly Körbel, as well as FC Superfund Pasching, IFK Gothenburg, FC Copenhagen, Valerenga Oslo IF and Lokomotiv Moscow. The latest details of competitions with FIFA World Cup™ tickets as prizes will also be available, together with interesting reports on events, such as the product launch of the new ContiPremiumContact 2 summer tyre for cars in Athens in February 2005, the ContiCup 2006 and the ContiTrainingsCamps. The camps are organised by record-holding Federal League player Charly Körbel, his Eintracht Frankfurt Soccer School and one or two partners from the specialist tyre trade, and are also regularly supported by Timo Hildebrand. ContiSoccerWorld will also demonstrate the numerous analogies that exist between football and tyres, and will show how Continental is aiming for integrated brand projection by focusing fully on football in its product communications, whether this is on television, in magazines, via the internet or in the stadiums. The German version of ContiSoccerWorld is now available at www.ContiSoccerWorld.de.

The Continental Corporation is a leading supplier of tyres, brake systems, chassis components, vehicle electronics, tyres and technical elastomers. In 2004 the corporation realised sales of EUR12.6 billion. At present it has a worldwide workforce of more than 80,000.

The tyre business unit is an Official Partner of the 2006FIFA World Cup GermanyTM.For further information visitthe websites www.ContiSoccerWorld.com, www.ContiFanWorld.com and www.conti-online.com.